New Zealand’s stand-in coach Luke Ronchi predicts an exciting Test match at Sylhet against Bangladesh after an eventful start to the game. Bangladesh were bowled out for 310 in their first innings and the visitors are now 44 short of that total with two wickets still left by stumps on the second day.
“I think the surface, in time, the cracks are opening up that little bit more,” Ronchi said after the second day’s play. “There’s a bit more turn. Obviously, Mominul at the end is getting the ball to turn the way he does. So, but I think that also proves that over the coming days, that surface will change. It’s going to make it for an exciting Test Match.”
On a turning track with only the tail left, New Zealand have a hard task on the third morning to overtake Bangladesh’s total but Ronchi is backing Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee and Ajaz Patel to help the team fetch the first-innings lead. “You have to have that belief in how you can bat on different surfaces and how you want to play your cricket,” he noted.
“So, we’ve definitely got guys who have made international fifties going out there to bat. So, they have the belief in themselves to go out there and do that. And I have the belief in them and everyone else in the changing room has belief in each other. So, we can definitely do something like that.”
New Zealand would have been in a poor position if not for Kane Williamson’s masterful century. Williamson added crucial runs with Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips before departing for 104. “He’s scored 29 of them now. I mean, you just see all around the world, he’s amazing and how he sort of works out different attacks, different sort of ways people are trying to get him out, different surfaces,” Ronchi said on Williamson’s knock.
“So to be able to do it the way he does and the calmness he shows in situations is awesome. Obviously, he’s done it a lot, but a lot of our young guys can see how he does it.
“A lot of the guys who have played a lot of cricket with him, see that and it’s just nice to see any player from your own team, even the opposition, when they can go out and score an international hundred. It’s always nice to watch.”
Ronchi also refused to blame the rest of the batting lineup for not applying themselves on this surface. “A lot of them play those shots naturally anyway,” he pointed out. “It’s sort of, it is one of their options to score and to put a bit more pressure on opposition bowlers. I think a lot of the guys look at the fact that every single batter got in and got themselves started. I think a lot of them would have liked to have kicked on and made more significant contributions. So, you’ve gotta, I guess, live by the sword, die by the sword when you play some of those shots sometimes.”
The coach also reserved rich praise for Phillips, who not only made a significant contribution with the bat, but also picked up four wickets with his off spin on the opening day. “I guess the way Glenn bats is actually quite a nice thing to have come in at number seven,” Ronchi admitted. “He can sort of change a game fairly quickly. We’ve had a few guys do that for us over the years but Glenn played some fantastic, he’s a high energy person anyway,
“He’s done it in a lot of white ball games for us, and to come out and do it today was really, really good. The partnership with Kane there was pivotal in getting us through some tough stages, and to pushing that score along. And then, obviously, yesterday, to come out and get his best ever figures in any international cricket. I think it’s fantastic. He is still learning his craft with his spin bowling. But he’s got some fantastic skills there. And he just loves it. I’ve never seen anyone get more excited than him at the moment with bowling. He definitely wants to stop wicket-keeping and be a bowler and those sorts of things.”
Meanwhile, centurion Williamson observed that the surface would get tougher to bat as the game progresses. “It was a tough day, I thought the batters really tried to apply themselves,” he said. “Put together some good partnerships. We have couple of wickets left. It will be nice to get a few more, and then we will have our chance to bowl. The surface is showing signs of deteriorating quite a lot. It looks like a bit of a scrap in the next few days. The surface has changed somewhat. We were expecting that. We have to keep adjusting with bat and ball. There’s a job to do in the morning, then we get the ball in our hand.”
The 33-year-old former captain lauded the home side for their efforts with the ball and admitted that New Zealand can learn and make some adjustments while bowling in the second innings. “They are very familiar with these conditions, they are very accurate,” he noted. “They all ask different questions. They were all outstanding today. They asked a lot of questions. They taught a lot of lessons as well to play in this part of this world. We have to make some good decisions for a period of time, and then have a go with the ball. We have to make some adjustments from the first innings to this innings.”
